We all know that Windows 7 is on its way, planned for release somewhere late 2009 or early 2010. We already know it will have a multitouch framework, no major kernel and/or driver framework changes, and a new taskbar people at Microsoft are not supposed to talk about right now. The firs two milestone releases didn't appear to be very exciting, but now there is - supposedly - a milestone 3 (build 6780) release, and there is a screenshot, and more information on UI changes. According to Microsoft blogger Stephen Chapman, the ribbon will make its way to Windows 7.

For *me*, this smells like a lock-in strategy. Let's get everyone used to Ribbons, so they'll have a hard time working with other UIs elsewhere; from a rational standing point i see no other good reason to do this (the argument of otherwise-just-a-failed-investment doesn't really hold here, because, this is Microsoft, guys, they wouldn't deeply care for a few hundred million lost if they found it's something not worth keeping).

For *me*, this smells like a lock-in strategy. Let's get everyone used to Ribbons, so they'll have a hard time working with other UIs elsewhere; from a rational standing point i see no other good reason to do this (the argument of otherwise-just-a-failed-investment doesn't really hold here, because, this is Microsoft, guys, they wouldn't deeply care for a few hundred million lost if they found it's something not worth keeping).

The more Microsoft change things from one version of Windows/Office to the next, the more capable people become at adjusting to a different thing than what they were used to before.

This works just as well for adjusting to a new OS altogether as it does to adjusting to a new version of Windows.

Paradoxically, going with a non-Windows option that this UI change enables you to at least attempt (you have to learn a new UI anyway, so why not learn a non-Microsoft one?) actually allows you you utterly escape the very lock-in that Microsoft are seeking to entrench.

For *me*, this smells like a lock-in strategy. Let's get everyone used to Ribbons, so they'll have a hard time working with other UIs elsewhere; from a rational standing point i see no other good reason to do this (the argument of otherwise-just-a-failed-investment doesn't really hold here, because, this is Microsoft, guys, they wouldn't deeply care for a few hundred million lost if they found it's something not worth keeping).

Not necessarily. If you look at the ribbon, it seems like a natural extension of the tool bar fused with the tab based interface - one could easily, if they got a decent lawyer (who actually had his shit together) to argue prior art. Then again, IMHO - patents on software shouldn't be given out to the same level they're done today.

Anyway, I think that the ribbon, although a HUGE improvement over the menu based paradigm, I still prefer the 'grand unified menu' at the top and the way which iWorks/Office 2008 is done. But I guess I would be in the minority (given that all alternative operating systems seem to be hell bent on copying Windows, right down to some of the stupid UI ideas too).

If XP/2003 and windows before the Ribbon era are so stupid and copied stupidly, why is there so much shrink wrap and custom software developed there ? I guess everyone in the world making this a popular place to use software are all idiots then.